“Is it possible for a bank to continue operating while being insolvent? The answer is yes, and Norinchukin Bank is the best example of it at the moment”. This was how I started my last article on Norinchukin Bank 3 months ago. This is why yesterday I wasn’t surprised at…
THE CONSEQUENCES OF A GOLD TSUNAMI HITTING THE LBMA
The 2013 gold market crash, triggered by a sudden collapse in COMEX futures prices, exposed vulnerabilities in the global gold trading system. At that time, paper gold markets—dominated by futures contracts and speculative trading—overshadowed physical demand, creating a fragile equilibrium. Investors watched in disbelief as prices plummeted nearly 30% in…
HOW SOFTBANK IS FIGHTING BANKRUPTCY
Three months ago, right after SoftBank’s quarterly results for the three months ended in September 2024, I wrote “SOFTBANK IS RUNNING OUT OF CASH, BUT NO WORRIES NVIDIA IS TRYING TO RESCUE IT,” highlighting how Masaponzi Son’s company continues to burn significant amounts of cash. However, a timely announcement of…
THE POTENTIAL CONSEQUENCES OF A SHORT SQUEEZE ON BOE GOLD EXPOSURE
Before diving into what’s happening in the gold market, with a particular focus on the Bank of England, let me first share a broader view of the dynamics at play for better understanding. The physical gold market is where people buy and sell real gold in the form of bars,…
WHY THE SITUATION OF UBS IS VERY DANGEROUS
A notification pops up on my phone about UBS’s latest earnings results and how cheerfully the market reacted, sending the stock up ~3% at the opening. As I always do, I go to the company’s investor relations website, download the latest report, and start reading. It didn’t take me long…
WHY MAKING AMERICA GREAT AGAIN IS SUCH A BAD NEWS FOR MANY (GREEDY) US INVESTORS
It is no mystery that U.S. companies that produce goods in other countries, like China, and sell them in the U.S., have successfully implemented many strategies over the years to maximize profits while minimizing taxation on their operations, especially profit tax. One common strategy is transfer pricing, which involves setting…
IN THE UPCOMING MAG7 EARNINGS SEASON QUESTIONS WILL MATTER MORE THAN NUMBERS
The Mag7 earnings season is about to kick off with Microsoft, Meta, and Tesla on Wednesday, followed by Apple on Thursday. Then the focus will shift next week to Alphabet on Tuesday and Amazon on Thursday. The last Mag7 company to report, perhaps the most important by far this time…
THE REAL ERA OF AI BEGINS, THE ONE OF THE AI CHARLATANS ENDS
This last week started with three clowns announcing a $500B “Stargate” project that they not only lacked funding for, but that structurally made no sense whatsoever. It ended with half of Silicon Valley in panic mode after suddenly waking up from their comfortable slumber to discover that their DeepSeek nightmare…
THE REASON WHY STOCKS OF COMPANIES THAT FAIL TO DELIVER HARDLY SELL OFF
Have you noticed how large companies are increasingly announcing initiatives and projects without well-defined business plans or existing funding, which are expected to generate results several years in the future? Have you observed how many large companies are launching products with claimed huge sales potentials that never materialize? The beyond…
HOW IS SCOTT BESSENT GOING TO DEAL WITH THE BANK OF JAPAN?
The next BOJ policy rate decision is approaching and, of course, much speculation surrounds it. I will not join the crowd because regardless of what happens next, it won’t change Japan’s fate in the medium to long term, as I have already discussed in these articles: The BOJ decision will…